The worst thing about the Chicago Bears' 31-10 loss to the New York Jets wasn't the final score. It wasn't that the defense looked like a junior varsity unit or that Trevor Siemian conjured ghosts of Bears quarterbacks past.
Instead, it was the season-ending ankle injury suffered by WR Darnell Mooney.
No, Mooney's injury doesn't impact a playoff run in 2022. It isn't a blow to an offense that was humming and on its way to an NFC North title. It won't change much of anything at all this season. But what lies ahead in 2023 and beyond makes it such a big deal.
Mooney will enter the final year of his rookie contract next season. He's eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but with his injury requiring surgery and likely a lengthy rehabilitation period, GM Ryan Poles would be foolish to commit to a long-term contract at the current wide receiver market on a player who has yet to prove he's a WR1 and has a serious injury.
Darnell Mooney likely needs season-ending surgery to repair torn ligaments, sources say. A tough end to the season for the promising receiver. https://t.co/OATNCIYQmb
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 28, 2022
The Bears have a wide receiver problem again
The Bears began the 2022 season with a wide receiver problem. Mooney was the only player on the depth chart who sparked confidence. The 2020 fifth-round pick from Tulane enjoyed a career-best season in 2021 when he finished the year with 81 catches for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns. He was a popular pick to be a breakout star this year, but the Bears' sluggish start on offense capped his production and caused his box score to suffer.
Mooney was coming on as of late. His upward trajectory, in a way, mirrored Fields'. He topped 50 receiving yards in five of the last six games and scored a touchdown in two of his last three. Earth-shattering numbers? No. But for a Bears offense that had youth football passing stats before Fields' breakout, Mooney's production was at least... production.
With Mooney out of the lineup, recently acquired alpha Chase Claypool must step up as the new 'WR1.' It's a role he was born to play. At 6-4 and 238 pounds, few human beings present with his physical profile. He had his best game of the season against the Jets, so his arrow is pointing up. He's been with the Bears for one month; the time is now to prove why Poles traded Chicago's second-round pick, which could be the 33rd selection, for him.
Mooney's injury sends shockwave through 2023 offseason plan
Mooney's been a fan favorite since arriving in Chicago as an undersized underdog. The story of his first purchase with NFL money being a JUGS machine is timeless. It's why Bears fans hurt with him and will rally behind him during his recovery.
But football isn't a sport where emotions make roster decisions. The trade for Claypool felt like the critical piece for an offense that was missing a running mate for Mooney. The 2023 offseason was expected to be filled with stories of Fields, Mooney, and Claypool developing timing and rhythm on their way to unleashing a 'new era' of offense next year. Perhaps Mooney will make a speedy recovery. But Mooney's game is predicated on his speed and quickness in and out of breaks. An ankle injury is worse for him than, say, Claypool.
It feels like the Bears are back to square one at wide receiver. A hobbled Mooney means the position could once again be an offseason priority. Maybe it'll be via free agency with a mid-level signing or in the NFL Draft; a third-round wide receiver would make sense. It's a problem the Bears thought they took a big step toward solving. It will have a long tail that extends into the Bears' plans for 2023. It could even impact whether Mooney is a two-contract player in Chicago.
Bears' injuries in Week 12 put Justin Fields' status in doubt
Mooney wasn't the only Bears player who fell victim to injury Sunday. Safety Eddie Jackson suffered a non-contact injury to his lower leg. Tackle Riley Reiff suffered a shoulder injury. Chicago was already short-handed without Fields, CB Kyler Gordon, and Safety Jaquan Brisker. As a lost season marches on, the Bears' priority must be making sure no more critical starters get hurt.
And that brings us back to Fields. It's hard not to think about his health and long-term outlook when other key Bears players go down. The sad truth is that Chicago can move on from Mooney, Reiff, or Jackson if they have to. While all three players are talented, they aren't irreplaceable. That's not true for Fields; if he goes down, the entire franchise goes down.
Call it a hunch, but I think we may not see Fields for a while, if again at all, in 2022. Reps and experience matter, of course, but there's no point in putting him in harm's way at 3-9. The biggest win for the Chicago Bears right now is a high draft pick. Playing Fields won't get them there, and if he gets seriously injured, they'll never be a team that isn't playing for a top pick. Not for a long time, at least.
Poles has some tough decisions ahead, beginning with Fields in Week 13 and extending into the offseason at wide receiver.